Ronnie O'Sullivan has been labelled as 'disrespectful' after he pulled out of the Scottish Open just hours before his opening match, citing medical reasons for the withdrawal.
'The Rocket' has been due to play in the first round of the tournament in Edinburgh today, where he was set to play against 19-year old Scot Liam Graham.
Fresh off a record eighth triumph at the UK Championship earlier this month, he would no doubt have acted as the main draw at the event. However, he has now been criticised by his opponent for his handling of this matter.
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Teenage opponents rips into Ronnie O'Sullivan over withdrawal
The withdrawal of Ronnie O'Sullivan left tournament organisers searching for a last minute replacement, but after they were unable to find one, Liam Graham was instead granted passage into the second round.
That has not gone down well with the player, who labelled the world no. 1's actions as 'disrespectful'.
It’s disrespectful what he’s done, it’s not right.
A lot of people took time off work to come and watch today and it’s disappointing. At the end of the day I want to play the best players in the world and I was really looking forward to it.
I had a lot of people coming to watch and it’s really disappointing for them. It’s not surprising given the things he does. I found out when I got to the venue this morning.
I didn’t have much prior warning, I think he pulled out very late. I would have stayed at home and all the people who have travelled to watch me would have come another day as well.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has limited the amount of tournaments he has played in during recent seasons, with his fractious relationship with the snooker authorities meaning that he often prefers to play in his own exhibitions as opposed to sanctioned events.
He has cited this change as one of the reasons for his rediscovered enthusiasm for the sport, but it can cause headaches for event organisers when he pulls out in the manner he did on this occasion.
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